


Night Light

by Hawkscape



Series: Ferrous: Aurora of Vesuvia [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Blood, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Gender-Neutral Apprentice, Gender-Neutral Main Character, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Insecurity, Literal Sleeping Together, Minor Injuries, Nightmares, Other, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13852698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkscape/pseuds/Hawkscape
Summary: After a day of adventures Julian and Ferrous try to rest but after a nightmare they have a late night heart-to-heart about both of their powers.





	Night Light

Most of the time Ferrous and Julian slept in the same bed it was not out of any romantic intent, but simply due to a lack of beds and a lack of caring brought on by late night runs through the city on most likely ill-thought-out adventures.

It was another night such as this where they had climbed in through the window of one of Julian’s many safe houses, this one's inhabitants apparently away for the summer, and were both stumbling towards sleep with laughter and adrenaline fading.

Ferrous had unclasped their cloak and tossed it onto a nearby chair while giggling. “How many times is that going to work?”

Julian removed his own coat, but made an attempt at folding it before setting it on a separate chair. “As long as people are distracted by bright flashing colors. So, forever.” He let out a loud laugh as Ferrous followed along, the markings all over their body seeming to illistrate the point by glowing a bright green.

They started to take off their boots and attempt to a get a fire going. “You weren't even trying to be stealthy; you just walked right past all of them.”

Julian removed his own boots and came to kneel next to the magician kindling the fire with a flippant but well practiced hand motion. “You simply have to act as if you belong where you are and very few people will be confident enough to bother you.”

They both stood up from the now blazing fire. “Guess that's why I have to make do with magic.”

Julian scoffed. “You do more then make do, ‘Aurora of Vesuvia’.” He made mocking air quotes as he took off his gloves.

Ferrous’ markings grew pink at the over-extravagant title. “Honestly, I don't know where that-“

They stopped talking as they turned back around to find Julian stretching his neck with his shirt undone. They were speechless for a moment before they burst into laughter.

The doctor started slightly and began blushing. “W-what? What's so funny?”

Ferrous just motioned at them. “Why do you do that?”

Julian looked down at himself, not following. “Do what?”

The apprentice just laughed more. “Your shirt is constantly unbuttoned. Never have I once seen you without your coat and with your shirt buttoned up more than two buttons.”

Julian could feel his blush spreading as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “Well, you don't expect me to be buttoned up like a priest as I sleep, do you?”

Ferrous walked over and put a hand on his shoulder to ease his embarrassment. “No, of course not, it's just... so different from your usual collected exterior of sharp lines and black leather when you take off your coat and suddenly have your entire chest out.” They noticed his face was still red. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's a very nice chest.” They patted it soundly before turning and flopping down on the nearby bed with a groan.

Julian's face cooled as he had to admit they had a point. He sat down on the bed next to their akimbo form. They sat up floppily before turning their neck sharply right and left, letting out a volley of horrendous cracks.

The doctor paled before letting out a shaky laugh. “You know you give me a heart attack every time you do that, right?”

Ferrous looked genuinely sorry. “Oh. Sorry. I keep forgetting it grosses you out.”

Julian motioned with his hand up for emphasis. “It doesn't ‘gross me out’, it just sounds like you've just snapped your neck every time you do it.”

“Sorry. It just feels nice. Like your bones are yawning.” They looked away. 

The redhead looked skeptical. “That is most certainly not what's happening and I'm almost fairly sure it's doing damage to something every time you do it.”

Ferrous shrugged again and flopped backwards unto the bed, curling up into a ball. “Eh, I've been doing it as long as I can remember, so it's probably fine.”

Julian remained silent for a few moments before snapping. ”You have amnesia!”

The glowing figure started giggling into their pillow as Julian rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable.” He crawled into bed next to them and faced away, wondering when he had gotten used to warmth at his back like this. “Night.”

“Mmmnight.” Came the muffled reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julian awoke like he had many a night, flailing around wildly after having one of an ever expanding rotation of nightmares. He only fully awoke when his head and shoulders connected with the hard wooden floor, lower body still kept in bed by a tangle of sheets. He tried to orient himself and looked up towards the dark ceiling before some kind of glowing shape leaned over him. It was an indistinct mass of glowing lines and shapes that moved in a way he could not make sense of before his eye adjusted again and he realised it was Ferrous leaning over him with their markings glowing yellow with worry. “Julian? Are you okay?” They whispered as if he would be still asleep after that. Julian felt shame flush his cheeks. He hated when this happened. Sleeping next to the magician had seemed to reduce his nightmares, but he supposed it was foolish of him to think they would be gone all together. He hoped they would not be able to see it in the dim light. “Yes, fine. Just a nightm-“

He felt a drop of something warm and wet fall in his chest. Was Ferrous crying? He reached his hand to the liquid and felt it between his fingers. Blood. He sat up abruptly, ignoring the head rush as his face was now inches away from Ferrous’. “You’re bleeding.”

Ferrous blinked in the dim light and lifted their hand up to their face. It came away wet. “Ah. Must have scratched myself while I was sleeping.”

They laughed slightly but Julian was not buying it. “I scratched you while I was flailing.” His stomach sank at the truth that he had hurt them. They tried to deny it. “Well, I mean- it’s my fault.”

Julian paused in utter confusion. “How could this possibly be your fault?”

They fidgeted slightly and looked away, shifting the light with them. “I- my glowing probably woke you up or startled you while you were sleeping. I sometimes switch between colors really fast when I'm dreaming and it’s happened to others before. Not to mention how hard it probably is to get to sleep at all in the first place with my constant glowing.”

Julian was dumbfounded. “What kind of-“ he shook his head. “Your lighting has never disturbed me. It's actually reassuring to not wake up from nightmares in complete darkness.” Their coloring shifted from yellow to a more pink tone. “Now, let me see your cut.”

He reached out his hand to grab their face but Ferrous quickly grabbed his reaching hand, flashing to red. “No!”

He could understand if they didn't want him touching them, but it needed to be treated. “I understand my touch might not be welcome at the moment, but your cut needs to be-“

They gripped his wrist tighter. “No, it's not that, I just don't want you using your... powers on something like this. It’s too small.”

Julian clenched their hand. “If an injury is life threatening you protest that it’s too big and would hurt me too much and if it's a small injury you say it’s not worth it. I’m beginning to think you don't like inflicting pain on me.”

He smiled sharply at what was meant to be a slightly dark joke, but he felt the grip on his wrist slacken and saw light shining off the suddenly forming tears in Ferrous’ eyes. “No, I don’t! I hate doing it. I try to be careful but I still constantly end up hurting myself on accident and you always have to swoop in to fix it.”

Julian could not argue with their penchant for accidental injury, but he protested nevertheless. “I am sorry. If it had known this troubled you, so I wouldn't have joked ab-“

They cut him off with uncharacteristic harshness. “Of course it troubles me. I care about you and whenever you get hurt because of me I feel like I'm being stabbed in the heart and it's so much worse than if you had just bandaged whatever wound I had and let it heal naturally.”

Julian knew that they sometimes found it distasteful whenever he took wounds from them, but they had never voiced more than a passing objection to it before now. “I... had no idea. Why didn't you tell me you detested it so much?”

They huffed slightly and rubbed their now undoubtedly red eyes. “I tried, but I guess just saying ‘it’s fine’ or ‘you didn't have to’ wasn't clear good enough.”

Julian grabbed their hand gently. “No, I should have listened better. I am sorry I've caused you such pain, but you must understand it also pains me to see you injured. If our roles were reversed, I’m not convinced you wouldn't do the same as me.”

Ferrous just sniffed slightly as they had to concede that Julian was right. He attempted to move his hand to their face, but was caught yet again. “I promise you I will not take anything unless you wish me to, but remember this time it wasn't of your doing, it was I who caused it.”

Their grip tighten before letting go. “But it was an accident.”

Julian smiled as he ran his thumb over the still slightly wet and glowing markings on the other’s face. “As are most of your injuries, dear. So, maybe we can both agree to ease the blame on ourselves?”

Ferrous nodded definitively. “Sounds fair enough.”

The doctor smiled even wider. “Now , I'm going to take care of that cut either way, but you tell me which way you prefer, magic or medicine?”

Ferrous’ eyes felt droopy with exhaustion and wished they could just fall asleep once more, curled up next to the warm man. “Medicine.”

Julian nodded and got up to grab a few things out of his coat before returning to an already half-asleep magician. He smiled fondly and began to gently clean the negligible scratch. It had already mostly stopped bleeding. They were so out of it he could just heal them without them ever knowing, but he wouldn't. He had promised. He stared at their calm and glowing face for a while longer before laying them down once more. He kissed their forehead gently. “Sweet dreams.”

As he laid himself down next to them, his mind passed through thoughts of glowing lightning bugs, twinkling stars, and safe lighthouses.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to message me!  
> http://hawkscape.tumblr.com/  
> https://www.youtube.com/c/HawkScape  
> http://hawkscape.deviantart.com/


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